


Feathers

by Gremlin_of_Space



Series: Complexities of Gallifreyan Mating Rituals [1]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Gallifrey (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Wings, Claiming, Fluff, Multi, Polyamory, Post-Season/Series 02, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:35:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29799579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gremlin_of_Space/pseuds/Gremlin_of_Space
Summary: Leela knew what it meant to have a Time Lord’s feather.She had waited years for her flock to present her with their feathers and claim the human as theirs. It was about time the three Time Lords finally got their act together.
Relationships: Irving Braxiatel/Leela, Irving Braxiatel/Leela (Doctor Who)/Romana (Doctor Who)/Narvin (Doctor Who), Irving Braxiatel/Narvin, Irving Braxiatel/Romana II, Leela/Narvin/Romana II, Leela/Romana II, Narvin/Romana II
Series: Complexities of Gallifreyan Mating Rituals [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2190369
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	Feathers

**Author's Note:**

> What started as a random idea on the Hope Zine server has become this: fluff. 
> 
> I have only gotten up to 2.04 so like, yolo timelines go whaaa

Feathers were very important on Gallifrey. 

A sign of good breeding and respectability was uniform colours (other than the gold patterns that were unique to each Time Lord) and having sleek and shiny primaries and secondaries was all the rage. 

Brax had the deepest shade of obsidian that Romana had ever seen. Flecks of gold formed pseudo stars that if she focused hard enough, she could see the Kasterborous system in his left primary’s. Even his coverts were sleek and groomed to perfection and when he slept on his back, bare except for a bed sheet on his lower back and legs, she and Leela were able to card their fingers through the soft fluffy down which were, unsurprisingly, very uniformed and well cared for. 

Narvin’s were simultaneously less chaotic in their pattern and yet more far intense. 

In low lighting, his wings seemed black like Brax’s and his feathers having a gold edge like other CIA agents and Chancellery Guards. They made a striking and well matched pair, Brax and Narvin, wings so similar that the rest of the Time Lord population knew that any Tots they would loom would have stunning wings (this theory had been going around long before the presidential flock was a thing and their arguing was a daily spectacle). 

It was when Narvin stepped into the glare of twin suns that his uniqueness was shown. 

For somebody who had to possibly blend in a crowd for his job, he had the most beautiful (and dramatic) wings Romana had ever seen and she had travelled with the Doctor! 

His plumage, from small, soft scapulars to the long primaries shimmered, in human terms, like an oil spill. Reds, oranges and yellows shifted to cooler blues, greens and purples depending on the lighting and contrasted against the black and white of his robes. The first time Leela had seen Narvin, she was momentarily breathless (and then quickly enraged after talking to him). 

She knew Time Lords could have colourful plumage but not to the extent of Narvin’s rainbows nor Romana’s mother of pearl feathers. There were other Time Lords that had iridescent but they were far more simple, a colour shift between two or three colours instead of the entire visible spectrum that her two lovers seemed to have. 

It turns out the genetic trait for iridescent feather colour stemmed from the Imperiatrix Imprimatur, some Time Lords having a watered down version whilst Narvin and Romana had. They didn’t expect Narvin to have the strain but he did, his lineage being manipulated from day one to have him be one the smartest Time Lords on Gallifrey. In fact, he was an off branch of Romana’s line, the Patrex variant that stretched back epoch’s ago. It was why he had more vibrant wings than his cousin. 

It was why he was so well matched for his Madam President. 

A smart mind and a powerful body...if Pandora had succeeded...they would have been unstoppable. A bonded pair. A glimmering duo of death and decay. Romana couldn’t help but shiver at the thought. 

The four of them had been seeing one another on and off for years. Debates and arguments turning into sex and quickly leading to pillow talk and confessions. Confessions turned into deep talks and from there to romance. Eventually lone pairs became a triangle and finally, Narvin got his head out his arse and joined the other three to create their flock (a Gallifreyan family unit because they were family; they’ve been through so much). 

He couldn’t be more happier, in all honesty. 

Leela and Romana spent the most time together so naturally the Madam President was the first to show her possessiveness over the human publicly. 

Feathers were important on Gallifrey and giving a feather to somebody had meanings. 

A covert, small feathers near the bony part of the wing, meant simple attraction, devotion or just familiarity. An alula symbolised a deep connection. Gifting a primary or a secondary, the longest and most detailed of the flight feathers was a possessive statement; ‘this one is mine and you better respect that’. 

A long time ago, there would have been fights over who claimed who, a highly toxic focus on eugenics and lineage causing the greatest disputes between families and chapters. Thankfully, that had disappeared all together, matches becoming more politically aligned. The love matches, though rare, were met with approval from many if not all and there were certainly no disputes about marriage (though some still complained behind closed doors).

Everything did get a little tense around courting Leela with Andred glaring from the shadows and so the three Time Lords had decided to make their move as a unit. Leela did not wear Andred’s feather and she had, in fact, denied him multiple times in public. 

It was early and the Time Lady brushed a feather down the centre line of Leela’s face, rousing the sleeping human awake. The weight of Romana resting on her hips should’ve woken her up but she was in deep sleep and Romana had grown impatient. 

“Romana?” Asked Leela sleepily, trying to stretch out her muscles the best she could with a Time Lord using her body as a bird perch. 

“I have something for you.” Leela wearily looked to the window and gave a groan. 

“But it is still dark. I know Time Lords do not need as much rest as us mere mortals but please-“

Romana reached over and flicked the bedside light on, Leela wincing in the process as the warm glow momentarily blinded her. The Madam President held up a long, singular feather, its veins shifting between the warm pinks, blues and greens, the gold tips becoming a sun in the artificial light. 

“This one came loose,” murmured Romana, looking down at her lover and bodyguard with an uncanny softness. A look that Leela hadn’t seen in a while. 

“And do you wish for me to groom you,” she teased though it ended on a yawn. 

“No, no. I think if you started grooming me you would be asleep by the time you reach the coverts,” the Time Lady smiled before tucking the primary behind her ear and moving Leela’s hands off her waist with her own. She pinned the human underneath her, linking their hands above the human’s head. “No, I want you to have it.”

Leela gave a small gasp. “Really?” 

“I assume Andred told you what it means.” Roman was leaning down now, her hair tickling the top of Leela’s breast and her breath ghosting the side of her human's neck. The feather threaded to come loose but neither seemed to care, eyes locked on one another, a deep understanding forming between the two. 

“Of course he did...I still have some of his...before the change, of course.” There was a sadness to her voice and Romana had the urge to kiss it away. 

So she did. She captured her mate’s lips with her own, projecting love and security onto the edges of Leela’s mind and when she pulled away, she chuckled at the whine Leela gave. 

“And now you have one of mine,” Romana purred and placed the feather on top of Leela’s throat, the human staying perfectly still in a sign of submission, obedience, proving how good of a mate she could be. It was an old tradition that had thrived on a submissive/dominant partner relationship and Leela was by no means submissive but it still made Romana’s instincts rile up. 

Leela was hers. 

Brax was the first other Time Lord Leela saw that morning and by Rassilon, he was glad he was alone with her in the corridor. 

Romana’s feather had been braided into her hair and would remain there for a centi-span, long enough for all to know that Leela was Romana’s (even if the multiple hickeys on the column of her neck already did the job). 

“Brax, good-“ she was quickly pinned to the wall, the elder Time Lord flaring out his wings so it was just him and her, caging her in, trapping her under his gaze and power. 

The world could be burning around them but neither could care, safe in inky blackness and stars of gold. He was looking deep into her soul, an almost predatory gleam in his eyes that made her shiver. Romana had that look earlier. Something was going on with her Time Lords. 

It reminded her of Andred before everything had gone wrong and yet so right. He had pinned her just like Brax and Romana had. He had braided his feathers into her hair every morning. She had worn it with pride. Now it is resting in a box, gathering dust. A forgotten relic of the past.

She hoped  _ this _ would go well and not become another bitter chapter of her story. 

“I see Romana has already staked her claim,” he whispered against, pressing his forehead against hers and rubbing their noses together, the tenderness contrasting with his deliciously dominant body language. Leela was brought back to the present and she rubbed her nose in return. “Might as well make sure they all know you're mine. That you’re  _ ours _ .” 

Ah, so Romana and Brax both claiming her was not a coincidence. 

She stayed still, back pressed against the wall just by his smirk (a Lungbarrow trademark, Romana had remarked) as Brax pulled something out of his pocket. 

A slightly longer feather than Romana’s was held in front of her face before being dragged along her collar and neck. She squirmed before giggling when it tickled just below her ear. Brax pressed a kiss to her nose before reaching for the braid that secured Romana’s primary. 

He undid part of it, up to where his Madam President had secured the shimmering white feather in the morning. He could imagine her feathers fluffing up in pride like his was right now and wished that the four of them had slept in the same bed. Though if they did, then none of them would be leaving the nest once Leela had their feathers. 

He wrapped some of Leela’s brown hair around the spine before braiding it in, careful not to jostle his and Romana’s claim. When he had secured the feathers with the gold ribbon at the end, he cupped Leela’s face in his hands. She was warm, human warm, and he loved it. 

“Mine,” he whispered. 

“Yours,” she confirmed and smiled into his kiss. 

Narvin took a much more subtle approach than Romana’s pre-dawn love making or Brax’s semi-public claim. 

Leela was walking beside Romana, the two K-9 units debating about something when Narvin passed the two of them. He nodded to Romana and brushed past Leela, his shoulder barely touched hers and she would’ve said some sort of snarky comment to start a fight (it was Narvin’s way of communicating his feelings so the other three checked on him by little comments). Instead, she kept silent as something delicate and light was slipped into her hand. 

She stopped, looked at the shining red-green feather and turned to look for her Coordinator. He was throwing a smile over his shoulder and Leela positively beamed in response. She felt his mind nudge against the small barriers Brax had taught her to build. It was hard for non-telepathic species to respond in kind so she just nodded and the two of them turned away in sync. 

Romana had stopped though both K-9 units continued to rattled off numbers. She watched Leela undo the ribbon and the braid before wrapping and tying in Narvin’s feather. 

Three feathers. Three partners. Her chest filled with love. 

She couldn’t help but touch them and think of all those years ago when she had worn Andred’s feather. 

“Oh, Leela,” sighed out Romana who extended her right wing, covering Leela’s shoulder and back. She pulled the human to her side, pressing a kiss to her temple when they were alone. Leela’s face must’ve betrayed her thoughts or perhaps Romana’s mind was gently caressing hers. Who knew. 

“It’s just…”

“You miss him. He’s still here, Leela. If you could just talk to him then maybe-”

“No, as I keep telling you, that is not the Andred I married. I do not want anything to do with him.” Romana gave a sigh and nodded her head. 

“As you wish.” 

They continued to Romana’s office in silence, the Time Lady retracting her wing only when they reached the presidential assistant. 

“Cardinal Braxiatel is already waiting...for you…” her words slowed down at the sight of the three primaries before giving a smirk. “I also believe Coordinator Narvin has requested an audience soon as well. Shall I cancel any unimportant meetings?”

“Please,” replied Romana before ushering Leela into her office. 

Braxiatel stood up from his chair, giving a slight bow. 

“My lady. Leela.”

“Braxiatel.” The door closed behind them and Braxiatel sweeped Romana into a hug, his wings pressed against hers. She sighed before wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face into his neck. 

Leela gave a grin at Brax who rolled his eyes and bent back a wing. The human all but launched herself into his embrace, rubbing shoulders with Romana. She immediately buried her fingers in Brax’s scapulars, feeling the soft little feathers caress her hands. 

She hadn’t had the opportunity today to admire his winter fluffiness. Leela was always touching Romana’s wings when they slept next to one another and Narvin prided himself on how perfect each feather laid straight so she never touched his wings other than out of comfort or grooming. Brax was the one Time Lord who would allow her to touch his wings in a semi-public space and she abused this fact with glee (Brax would never complain, he liked having his small human under his wings).

He was hers as much as she was his. 

She continued to card her fingers, nuzzling into his shoulder and pressing her body into Romana’s. 

“Oh, that is nice,” he sighed out and stretched his wings out fully. The air suddenly became a little cold as the insulation was gone but seeing Brax’s wings stretch out fully made it up for it. 

The office was big, big enough for two or three Time Lords to stretch their wings out fully. His primaries curled upwards and both of his female companions looked up in awe. An age old instinct made his feathers puff up in a show of virility and strength at the sight of his two lovers admiring him. Romana fluttered her wings gently and a blush was creeping out from under her collar whilst Leela merely gave him a sharp glance over, possibly looking for a feather out of place. 

“I thought we agreed to stop puffing up in front of them when we decided to be a flock?” Narvin had slipped into Romana’s office without a single sound and was now leaning against the wall. He was raising an eyebrow at Brax who merely puffed out even more, trying to impress the Coordinator. 

Brax folded one wing around Leela and partially covering Romana in the process, the other flared open in an invitation. Narvin merely rolled his eyes before joining the hug, slipping one wing around Romana and the other grazing Brax’s side. Soon enough, the two females were encased in feathers and were pleasantly warm, leaning into each other and the males. 

“We did but it does stroke ones ego to see such a high powered Time Lady and a fine warrior swoon.” He nuzzled Romana’s cheek, who poked his shoulder in jest, and pulled Leela even closer. “Though, what would be better, is to see said Time Lady wear our colours.”

“Like I am?” Asked Leela. She would’ve touched the braid but one hand was around Romana’s waist and the other still in Brax’s feathers (the Time Lord kept making little noises from the back of his throat when she gently pulled). 

Narvin gave something akin to a purr in response and Leela bit her lip, realising that she could not make those sounds nor give anything to claim Romana. 

“But I do not have any feathers to give you…how will they know that you are mine? Oh I wish I had wings sometimes,” lamented Leela. “And how about you two?” She strained her neck to look at her Time Lords. “If you are claiming us then we can claim you.” 

Romana gave a chuckle and knocked her head against Leela’s. “We’ll figure something out.” 

It soon became a common sight to see two long primaries sitting pride of place on the Time Lords desks. Any agents being berated in Narvin’s office couldn’t help but stare in awe at Romana’s and Brax’s claim, a piece of leather strapping tying the two together. The coordinator would shift the feathers in front of everybody and so would Romana in her own office, making sure Narvin’s red-green primary would glitter in the light and Brax’s speckled black sitting perfectly against Narvin’s and Leela’s leather twine keeping the two together, just like the human did with her three Time Lords. 

Both Coordinator and President played with them especially when Inquisitor Darkel was being her usual self in their respective offices. 

Brax was a little more subtle, his two feathers placed in front a window so that when the suns were in the correct position, the iridescents were on full view, pearl and oil working together in harmony very much like his Time Lord lovers. His leather was wrapped around his wrist instead, taking Leela’s concerns about claiming him as hers very seriously (she loved holding his hand in private and playing with the bracelet). 

Even after the standard period passed, the four of them continued to state their love and devotion to one another publicly. Primaries on desks were switched out regularly with grooming and Leela still kept feathers in her hair, switching to coverts and keeping them in place with a little clip. 

They were happy. They were each other’s. Always and forever. 

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos, comments and bookmarks are appreciated!!! 
> 
> Stay safe, love each other and be kind 
> 
> ~ Gremlin


End file.
